Podcast Guest Guide

So you have an absolute favorite Kate song you’re just dying to chat about and you want to come on Strange Phenomena to talk about it! Wonderful! Yay more Kate Bush fans!

This page is here to give you the info you’ll need to be a guest on the show!

The most important thing is:

Have fun!

Don’t think of your appearance as a super formal interview. I’m not going to be grilling you about the song. Instead, think of the show as a couple of Kate Bush fans coming together to discuss a favorite song. We also don’t have to agree on everything either. We’re here to discuss! It just so happens that our conversation will be recorded and put online for others to listen to!

A couple of pointers about the show:

#1 My show is not a live broadcast!

So no need to panic! The podcast episode that gets released will include song clips, Kate interview quotes, etc, during the discussion, which means that our conversation will be edited.

This means that during our chat, if you need to take care of things around the house while we’re talking (kids, dog needs a walk, pit stop, etc), that’s fine! If you want to rephrase something, that’s OK too. I can edit those parts (and goodness knows I’m probably going to trip up a few times too as we’re talking! 😀 ).

Most of all, don’t worry about sounding “radio perfect.” Podcasts are an informal medium, so it works the best when everyone is relaxed and, well, just chatting like old friends!

#2 Recording

Since we all can’t actually see each other in person for our Kate discussions, we will be using the Internet to help us chat and put the show together!

Here are a few things you will need to take part in the show:

We will be using Skype for our song discussions. If you don’t already have that installed on your computer, you can download it here for free. Once you have installed it, feel free to add me in your Contacts list. Let me know your username and I will add you to my list as well! This is the easiest way for me to connect with you. Calls on Skype are free and it’s an easy program to use.

If you don’t feel comfortable using Skype, we will set up a time for when I can call you on the phone and we can discuss the song that way. This will only be as a last resort. If we do this option, it’s easier for me to call you. Do keep in mind, I am on the US East Coast, EST. So depending on where you are in the world, I am anywhere from a few hours ahead (if you’re on the US west coast) to a dozen hours behind (if you’re in Australia) to only five hours behind (if you’re in the UK). It all depends on where you’re located. No need to worry. We will make that work! I’ve gotten to chat with people from the UK, Denmark, and Australia with no problem! I can get up early or stay up late if needed (caffeine!). If I call you to discuss the song, I will record our conversation on my end and then edit it all together, easy!

If you would like to participate in the show but don’t wish to be recorded, you can message me with your thoughts on the song and I can read them aloud on the air! I know some folks who have wanted to participate but feel uncomfortable being recorded, so I am offering this as an option for you if that is the case. Easy peasy!

If we’re using Skype, if at all possible, make sure you have an external microphone. Take it from me. You’ll sound better with an external microphone. However, if you don’t already have an external mic, you can use a headset or even your iPhone earbuds (the new ones that have a built-in mic). If you don’t have those either, you can use your computer’s built-in microphone, but keep in mind that the sound quality won’t be the best, so that should be a last resort.

Make sure to wear earbuds or headphones. Not only will you hear yourself more clearly as you’re talking, but also it will prevent your microphone from picking up my voice.

If we’re running Skype and you feel comfortable doing so, you only need to record your end of the conversation. I will run a backup program on my end that will capture our entire Skype chat in case something does go wrong during our conversation. However, being able to record yourself will make the editing process easier for me. After the show, I will ask you to send me the audio file of your voice either via Dropbox or Google Drive, at which point, I will edit the file I’ve recorded of just my voice, and the file of your voice that you’ll send me, and it will sound like we’re talking in the same studio! Ta da! 🙂

So how can you record yourself? Easy!

Mac users:

If you have a Mac like I do, guess what? You can use QuickTime to record yourself! To learn how you can use QuickTime to record your voice, you can watch this video here:

Windows

If you’re a Windows user, you can use Audacity, a free application you can download here. To learn how you can use Audacity, you can watch this video here:

And that’s it! 🙂

If you have any questions, e-mail me at kbcast@linkemedia.com! I look forward to chatting with you about all things Kate Bush!